A term (from the Old English burh) used to denote a place
with urban characteristics and therefore likely to contain commercial
institutions, including a market. The term originally indicated the defended character of the place but acquired additional connotations,
including the distinctive legal customs, taxation rates and rights to representation
enjoyed by the inhabitants of towns in contrast to those of the countryside. The
privileged inhabitants of towns were known as burgesses. Not all settlements which
functioned economically or socially as towns were recognised as boroughs.

burghal hidage

A record of defended places established under royal authority
in southern England and the Midlands during the late ninth and early tenth
centuries. Many of these places were later thriving towns.

calendar

A published summary in English of the contents
of a document or a series of documents. For example, the charter rolls are the
manuscript record of charters granted by the king; they are written in Latin in a contemporary hand. The calendar of the charter rolls is a summary of their contents with some information, such as the witness lists, left out.

charter

Document recording a grant.
A royal charter is distinguished from other forms of royal instrument as it
has a witness list and notifies specific groups of the royal act.

confirmation

A charter which
reiterates the terms of a previous grant and perhaps grants additional
rights. In the Gazetteer, most confirmations are made by the
king.

curia regis

Literally the kings court, this was a royal
court which progressed in circuits around the country. The cases which
were brought before the court are useful as they occasionally contain
information regarding markets and fairs.

demesne

Land retained by a lord for his own use; royal demesne was
the land retained by the king.

Domesday Book

Detailed survey of England, conducted in 1086 on
the order of King William I.

escheat

Reversion of a holding to a lord, or ultimately to the Crown.
This often happened if there was an absence of legitimate
heirs.

eyre

A
circuit (composed of several counties) by royal judges who were known
as justices-in-eyre. Eyres were not held every year. A phrase like at
the eyre of 1244 denotes business conducted on the circuit in that year.

fair

A trading institution held annually. In medieval
England and Wales, a fair was held on a set date, normally
associated with the feast of a particular saint. A fair might last only
a single day or over a number of days, ranging from two or three days to
a week or more.

feast

An annual religious festival, often a saints day, on which fairs were
held.

feet of fines

Also known as final concords, this was a means
of settling a dispute, commonly with the purpose of conveying real property.
The 'foot' was the copy of the agreement filed centrally, the others being
kept by the two parties.

fine

In the context of the Gazetteer, this was a payment to the
Crown in return for a royal grant. The fines proffered each year were
recorded on the Fine Rolls; some were also noted on the Pipe Rolls.

Formerly Prescriptive

Description used in the Gazetteer for a prescriptive market
or fair which was subsequently formalised in a charter.

grantee

The person or institution who received a grant.

grantor

The person or institution who made a grant.

inquisition post mortem

When a tenant who held directly
from the king died, an inquest was held to determine the nature and
extent of his estates. The inquest was conducted by means of sworn
testimony. The findings of these inquisitions post mortem often include
information regarding markets and fairs.

Lay Subsidy of 1334

The tax levied in 1334 was novel in that it
replaced the previous system of direct tax on the wealth of individuals
by a fixed quota system in which every community agreed upon the sum it was to pay.
Rural areas paid a fifteenth of their assessed wealth, whilst boroughs
paid a tenth.

letters close

A means of sending a royal instruction, often to
a member of the administration. The letter was closed, that is,
folded and sealed, so that its contents remained private. In the context
of the Gazetteer, letters close are usually instructions by the king to
a sheriff, ordering him to establish, publicise or close a market or
fair in his county. During the minority of King Henry III (12161227),
grants of markets and fairs were made by letter close, as the king was
under age and therefore could not issue charters in hereditary
right.

letters patent

A means of sending a royal instruction: an open
letter, with the seal attached to the bottom. In the context of the
Gazetteer, letters patent were occasionally used to record royal grants
of markets and fairs. The use of letters patent for such grants often
occurs during exceptional circumstances, for example when the king was
overseas on campaign. However, from 1517 onwards, all grants which had
previously been made using royal charters were made with letters patent.

mandate

An order; in the Gazetteer,
it is usually an order from the king to a royal official such as a
sheriff.

market

A trading institution held weekly. At most places in medieval
England and Wales a market was held on a set day, once a week. The larger
towns had several markets on several days a week.

minority

Period when an individual was under age (i.e. less than 21)
and therefore could not possess or control his or her inheritance. A royal
minority occurred when the king was succeeded by an heir (usually) under 21.
For example, in 1216 King John was succeeded by Henry III, who was only
9 years old. During a minority, the heir and his or her estates were
normally under the control of an appointed guardian.

morrow

The day after a
feast.

nova oblata

Meaning new offerings, this was a heading on
the Pipe Roll under which new fines were recorded. A fine enrolled under
this heading had been paid for a recent charter or grant. The amount
owed by the grantee is sometimes recorded, for example 5 marks for a
charter.

octave

The eighth day after a feast (the feast day itself is
counted).

palfrey

A
horse used for everyday riding (as opposed to a war horse). Late twelfth and
thirteenth century fines were often expressed as 5 marks or a
palfrey.

Pipe Roll

Name given to the Great Roll of the Exchequer on account
of its shape when rolled up.
Records of the audit of the annual accounts of the sheriff of each
county made in the Exchequer. In the context of the Gazetteer, these are
useful as they often record the fine made by a grantee in return for a
charter.

prescriptive

A prescriptive market or fair was held by custom
(i.e. it was not set up by a grant or charter). They were usually the
oldest markets and fairs.

quo warranto

In the context of the Gazetteer, this refers to a
series of enquiries held by royal judges who were sent on circuits around
the country, chiefly in the reigns of King Edward I and King Edward II (12721327).
In an attempt to assert royal rights, the justices attempted to discover
by what right (quo warranto) individuals or institutions were
holding markets and fairs.

replevy

To restore, following confiscation.

sheriff

Principal agent of the Crown responsible for the administration
and finances of a specific
county.